Flexible printed circuit electrical connector

Abstract

An electrical connector ( 1 ) is provided for connecting a flexible printed circuit to a print circuit board. The connector comprises an insulative housing ( 22 ), a number of electrical contacts ( 24 ) received in the insulative housing, a pair of metal ears ( 26 ) inserted into opposite lateral sides of the insulative housing and an actuator ( 28 ) assembled on the insulative housing via pivotally engaging with the metal ears. Each metal ear has a main body, an elastic arm ( 262 ) and a latch arm ( 264 ) to define a hole ( 265 ) together and a claw ( 266 ) for locking the actuator in a close position. The actuator has a board ( 280 ) and a pair of turning shafts ( 282 ) projecting from lateral sides of the board. When the turning shafts received in the holes of the metal ears, stretch tails ( 263 ) of the elastic arms abut against the turning shafts to retain the actuator.

1. An electrical connector for connecting a flexible printed circuit, comprising:
 an insulative housing defining a longitudinal direction and a mating direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and having a base portion and a mating portion extending forwardly along the mating direction from the base portion; 
 a plurality of electrical contacts received in the insulative housing; 
 a pair of metal ears inserted rearwardly into opposite lateral sides of the insulative housing, each metal ear being formed with a claw on an end thereof adjacent to an end of the mating portion away from the base portion in the mating direction and defining a hole on the other end thereof near the base portion; and 
 an actuator defining an open position and a close position relative to the insulative housing and having a pair of turning shafts pivotally received in corresponding holes of the metal ear, the actuator being locked in the close position by the claws of the metal ears via pressing the actuator near the close position downwardly. 
 
   
   
     2. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each metal ear has a main body, an elastic arm with a stretch rail and a latch arm extending oppositely from a same side of the main body to define the hole for receiving the actuator together with the stretch tail. 
   
   
     3. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the stretch tail of each metal ear abuts against corresponding turning shaft. 
   
   
     4. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein during the claws of the elastic arms locking wit the actuator, the claws and the actuator collide with each other in the mating direction, and the actuator is allowed to move away from the claw in the mating direction by the elasticity of the stretch tail. 
   
   
     5. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the actuator has a pair of blocks extending from opposite lateral sides of an end thereof away from the base portion for locking with corresponding claws of the metal ears. 
   
   
     6. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each metal ear has a main body, the claw is formed by bending an end of the main body away from the base portion in the mating direction. 
   
   
     7. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the claw has an upright portion extending downwardly from an end of the main body, a flat portion extending forwardly from an end of the upright portion and a locking portion extending upwardly from an end of the flat portion and being banded toward the elastic arm at a free end. 
   
   
     8. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the flat portion has a soldering portion at a center thereof. 
   
   
     9. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the actuator has a rectangle board, the board is formed with the turning shafts on opposite lateral sides thereof and defines a depressed portion at a center thereof. 
   
   
     10. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the board of the actuator is formed with an engaging face opposite the depressed portion for pressing the flexible print circuit to the electrical contacts when the actuator is in the close position. 
   
   
     11. An electrical connector comprising:
 an insulative housing comprising a base portion and a mating portion extending forwardly from the base portion; 
 a plurality of electrical contacts retained by the base portion and exposed in the mating portion of the insulative housing; 
 a pair of mounting ears assembled to the insulative housing, each mounting ear having a main body, an elastic arm and a latch arm, the elastic arm and the latch arm defining a hole together; and 
 an actuator assembled to and retained by the mounting ears fry engaging with the holes and being movable relative to the insulative housing between an open position to expose the mating portion and a close position to cover the mating portion. 
 
   
   
     12. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein each electrical contact comprises a horrent portion with a soldering portion, an upper branch and a lower branch both extending forwardly and horizontally from a same side of the horrent portion. 
   
   
     13. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the lower branch of each electrical contact is longer then the upper branch and is formed with a contact portion exposed in the mating potion. 
   
   
     14. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the elastic arm and the latch arm are extending toward each other from an upside of an end of the main body to define the hole together. 
   
   
     15. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the actuator is formed with a pair of turning shafts respectively received in the holes of the mounting ears. 
   
   
     16. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein each elastic arm is formed with a stretch tail abutting against corresponding turning shalt. 
   
   
     17. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein each mounting ear is formed with a claw on the other end of the main body and adjacent to an end of the mating portion away from the base portion for locking the actuator in the close position. 
   
   
     18. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein during the claws of the, mounting cars locking with the actuator, the claws and the actuator collide with each other in a mating direction, and the actuator is allowed to move away from the claw in the mating direction by the elasticity of the stretch tail. 
   
   
     19. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the claw has an upright portion extending downwardly from an end of the main body, a flat portion extending forwardly from an end of the upright portion and a locking portion extending upwardly from an end of the flat portion and being bonded toward the elastic arm at a free end thereof. 
   
   
     20. An electrical connector for use with a flexible print circuit (FPC), comprising:
 an insulative housing comprising a bass portion defining a lengthwise direction thereof and a mating portion extending forwardly from the base portion; 
 a plurality of electrical contacts retained by the base portion and exposed in the mating portion of the insulative housing; 
 a pair of holding ears assembled to the housing; and 
 an actuator assembled to the insulative housing with two opposite pivots retained by the holding ears and being essentially rotatable relative to the insulative housing between an open position to expose the mating portion for receiving Said FPC therein, and a close position to cover the mating portion for retaining said FPC therein; wherein 
 said holding car includes a notch receiving the corresponding pivot therein, and a spring arm located around said notch and engaged with the corresponding pivot to allow said corresponding pivot to not only move away from the notch during rotation of the actuator from the open position to the close position for easy assembling of the FPC to the housing, but also move toward the notch when said actuator is in the closed position for holding the actuator and the FPC in position.